by our College Data Analytics Team
Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 53 programs for Men’s Cross Country (Division III) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual evaluates each program using a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data. Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Want to narrow by division or explore related lists? Pick a path below.
Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found Hamilton College to be the best college for Men's Cross Country (Division III) in the Middle Atlantic Region. This private not-for-profit school is set in Clinton, NY. The program generates about $4,043 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,043 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Yeshiva University ranked #2 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in New York, NY. The program generates about $4,591 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $4,591 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Vassar College ranked #3 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Vassar College is a private not-for-profit school based in Poughkeepsie, NY. The program generates about $4,654 in revenue per athlete, against $4,523 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Franklin and Marshall College earned the #4 place for student athletes. Franklin and Marshall College is a private not-for-profit school based in Lancaster, PA. The program generates about $3,774 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,969 per participant. Athletic aid averages $53 per athlete.
Dickinson College is one of the top schools for Men's Cross Country (Division III), at #5. Dickinson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Carlisle, PA. The program generates about $3,938 in revenue per athlete, compared with $4,838 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
St. John Fisher University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Located in Rochester, NY, St. John Fisher University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $6,021, with expenses of about $5,174 per participant. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
St Lawrence University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Canton, NY, St Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,034 per participant, against $3,034 in expenses. The school awards about $3,126 in athletic aid per athlete.
Ithaca College landed the #8 spot this year. Based in Ithaca, NY, Ithaca College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,512 per participant, compared with $3,512 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
State University of New York at New Paltz landed the #9 spot this year. Located in New Paltz, NY, State University of New York at New Paltz is a public institution. The program generates about $8,155 in revenue per athlete, compared with $8,152 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Rochester Institute of Technology did well this year, earning the #10 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rochester, NY. The program generates about $3,720 in revenue per athlete, compared with $3,705 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $3,070.
Juniata College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Juniata College is a private not-for-profit school based in Huntingdon, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,788, with expenses of about $5,754 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
DeSales University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Center Valley, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $4,817, against $4,689 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Saint Vincent College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Latrobe, PA, Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $4,326 in revenue per athlete, against $4,326 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
University of Scranton ranked #14 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Scranton, PA, University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,583, against $1,583 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Clarkson University placed #15 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Potsdam, NY, Clarkson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,956, against $2,037 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $4,842 per athlete.
Drew University placed #16 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Drew University is a private not-for-profit school based in Madison, NJ. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $2,824, compared with $2,824 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Chatham University placed #17 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Pittsburgh, PA. Team revenue averages $5,547 per participant, compared with $5,547 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Bard College did well this year, earning the #18 position. Bard College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY. The program generates about $2,431 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,431 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Russell Sage College placed #19 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Based in Troy, NY, Russell Sage College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $7,325, compared with $6,908 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
Hobart William Smith Colleges did well this year, earning the #20 position. Based in Geneva, NY, Hobart William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit institution. The program generates about $2,525 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $2,525 per participant. The school awards about $50 in athletic aid per athlete.
McDaniel College did well this year, earning the #21 position. Based in Westminster, MD, McDaniel College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $5,478 per participant, compared with $5,028 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Lancaster Bible College ranked #22 on our 2026 list for Men's Cross Country (Division III). This private not-for-profit school is set in Lancaster, PA. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $3,390, against $2,466 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lebanon Valley College landed the #23 spot this year. Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit school based in Annville, PA. The program generates about $1,893 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $1,893 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Widener University placed #24 among the best colleges for Men's Cross Country (Division III). Located in Chester, PA, Widener University is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $3,118 per participant, against $3,028 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
State University of New York at Cortland landed the #25 spot this year. Located in Cortland, NY, State University of New York at Cortland is a public institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $1,965, against $1,965 in expenses. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
These programs also stood out among the best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.